Southbridge, MA — A nine-year-old boy was struck by a vehicle while tying his shoe in a parking lot Monday morning. Police say he was transported to UMass Medical Center – University Campus with non-life-threatening injuries.
According to the Southbridge Police Department, at approximately 8:19 AM on Monday, April 28th, 2025, emergency crews were dispatched to the parking lot of Plaza Liquor, 200 Mechanic Street, for reports of a child struck by a vehicle.
On-scene investigation determined that the child was walking to school with two other children when he stopped in the parking lot and bent over to tie his shoe. At the same time, a Toyota Tacoma, operated by a 37-year-old man, was pulling out of the parking lot. The truck traveled through the parking lot at a low speed when he failed to see the child tying his shoe and struck him with the front bumper of the vehicle. The child fell to the ground, where he was struck by the passenger side tire, causing “severe injuries to his hip and leg”. According to fire officials, the child was awake, alert, and talking to responders when medical personnel arrived.
The child was transported to UMass Medical Center – University Campus (Worcester) with non-life-threatening injuries.
The accident is under investigation by the Southbridge Police Department with assistance from the Central Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (CEMLEC) Collision Reconstruction Team.
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